Aruani Week 2017
by EverydayWeaboo
Summary: A series of one-shots written for Aruani Week on tumblr.
1. chapter 1

AN: It's Aruani Week on tumblr, and as a diehard fan of this ship, I think it's only right that I participate in it. Anyway, I don't actually know how this works, but I'm following the prompts given on tumblr. Whether it's Aruani week or not, it would always be a joy to write about these two.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.

Day 1 - Eyes

Her breath hitched the first time she saw them — those round, blue eyes that looked like small pools of water. She drowned in those eyes once in the past, and now she found herself drowning in them again. _If this is what drowning felt like_ , she thought, _then I wouldn't mind settling into the bottom of the ocean._ And that was exactly what those eyes seemed like: a clear and fathomless ocean.

Annie wanted those eyes to see everything that was beautiful in the world: the purple flowers growing in the meadow near their home; the small birds that settled on the windowsill; the warm smile of her husband whenever he came home. She promised herself that she would protect those eyes from anything ugly and unpleasant, a task that was both hard and seemingly impossible.

They gave her a name: Aria. Armin had told her that it meant _air_. Annie was pleased with it — she couldn't see the air, but somehow in her mind, it was blue, exactly like the color of Aria's eyes.

Her eyes were wide and curious as her father read to her. Annie watched them, amazed at how two people could look so alike. Aria had inherited her father's sunshine hair and round face, along with his big, blue eyes. If Annie were asked to sum up her entire life, she would have said that it contained two chapters, and that both started with blue eyes. The first part began when she first caught a glimpse of Armin's eyes across the mess hall, and the second one started when Aria's eyes fluttered open when she gave birth to her.

She was crying. Angry tears rolled down her eyes as Annie held her. Annie's heart ached in seeing her daughter cry over something she had done. Words like "monster", "murderer", and "Titan" rang through Aria's mind, words people had associated with her mother, and it brought a fresh batch of tears rolling down her cheeks. Annie gazed at her daughter's eyes, which now knew sadness and hurt.

She was beautiful. Everyone said so. She had long, golden hair that bounced when she walked, and her blue eyes — they were sparkling like water being hit by sunlight. Her father always tended to brag about her, much to his comrades amusement. Annie was pleased; their Aria was all grown up. She was lovely, like a princess, and Annie had another urge to shield her away from the nasty things in life. A princess must always be happy, after all.

Aria's eyes were filled with defiance as she expressed her desire to become a soldier. Annie shook her head, pleading her not to enlist in the military, but she was not going to be dissuaded. Annie remembered crying that night, as she begged her husband not to let their daughter go, but he smiled at her and promised to protect Aria at all costs. She believed him — she always believed those blue eyes of his. Aria left for training, and Annie prayed every night for her to come home.

She was smiling widely as she showed her parents the cloak etched with the Survey Corps insignia. Aria clasped it around her body, standing proudly next to her father, who wore the same uniform. Her eyes were alive with triumph and excitement; she was following on her father's footsteps, and nothing could please her more. Annie gave her an approving nod, and she watched as she left the gates with her father.

The spark was gone from her eyes. Aria had a sunken look on her face; it was the look that came with watching your friends die. Annie bowed, grateful that her daughter was alive, but her head snapped up when she saw tears flowing down Aria's face. Annie took her in her arms, the same way she used to back when she was still a small child. But Aria's eyes remained glassy as she presented Annie what was left of her father — a tattered Survey Corps patch. Annie's vision blurred, and she knew no more.

Aria's eyes were filled with light. It was the light that came with finding your other half. She walked down the aisle, hand in hand with her Uncle Eren, who stood for her father. Annie smiled slightly, thinking back to her own wedding, and she imagined Armin's blue eyes as he said, "I do." She clenched her fists, and she watched as Eren handed Aria over to her groom, an act Armin should be doing had he been alive.

Annie was reaching the last of her days. She lay in bed as Aria walked up to her, holding a bundle in her arms. She showed the baby to her mother, and Annie gave its small hand a squeeze. Her grandchild opened its eyes, and for the third time in her life, Annie was met with wide, blue eyes. Aria had named him Armin, after her father. Annie nodded, and with one last breath, closes her tired eyes.


	2. chapter 2

AN: So this is an idea that I hope to turn into a complete story someday. Meanwhile, I'll use it for Aruani Week!

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.

Day 2 - Highschool

Armin stretched his hand out as far as he could, trying to reach the book that was on the far end of the shelf. He leaned his body forward, careful not to go too far, in case he slipped from the ladder he was standing on. Why the book he had wanted to read was placed on the topmost portion of the shelf, he had no idea. All he knew was that it took him years to search for this book, and now that he finally found it, he was going to get it.

His fingers brushed the book's leather spine; he smiled, and reached his hand out further. His finger latched onto its cover, and the thick volume slid out of the shelf and fell to the carpeted floor with a soft thump, making him groan in frustration. Armin let his arm drop to his side as he sighed. He got ready to climb down, but he stopped short when he saw the book gently rise up from the floor — the thing floated in the air, as if some invisible string was pulling it up.

Not knowing what to do, Armin held out his hands, and the book landed on his palms with a soft thud. He gazed at its dark blue cover with confusion, and before he could fully register what had happened, a voice from below him said: "Be careful next time."

Armin looked down and saw a girl standing at the foot of the ladder. She was staring at him with pale blue eyes, her hands inside the pocket of her hoodie. Everything about her seemed pale — her blond hair, her skin, her lips. He noticed that she had a strong, European nose. She looked like she was in a perpetual state of boredom, with the way she was looking at him. Armin felt like she was some sort of vampire, and that any minute now she would melt under the sunlight.

"You should be more careful next time," she repeated. Her voice was flat, like air coming out of a pipe. "Someone could have been standing here, you know. That book's so thick it can put a person into comatose if hit."

"S-sorry," he stuttered. He hugged the book closer to his chest. "It slipped."

She shrugged. The girl turned away from him and started walking out of the library. Armin, snapping out of his daze, quickly scrambled down the ladder and followed her.

"Thanks!" he said.

"Voice down, please," Ms. Ral, the librarian, told him.

He gave her an apologetic smile before turning back to the girl, who had stopped and faced him.

"Thank you," said Armin. "You did it, right? You picked up the book?"

"Yes."

"So you can move objects? That's so cool."

"I guess."

Armin smiled. She wasn't much of a talker, was she? "I'm Armin, by the way. Armin Arlert." He extended his hand to her.

She took it and said, "I'm —"

"Annie Leonhardt," he blurted out. Realizing what he did, he quickly clamped his hand over his mouth.

Annie raised an eyebrow. "How...?"

"I read your mind," he replied. "I didn't mean to, though. I promise! It's just that, I'm not wearing my earphones right now, and when there's no music to block out the voices, my mind automatically reads all the thoughts around me..."

"So you can read minds," she stated.

"Yeah," he said. "It's my gift."

"And you need earphones?" she asked.

"It's a long story," he said. He rubbed his temples. "And now a hundred voices are threatening to enter my head. Can we please leave the library?"

Annie nodded, and they exited into the school corridor, which was practically empty save for a few students who were stuffing things into their lockers. Armin gave a sigh of relief, and he smiled at Annie before plugging his earphones on.

"Finally," he said, when a loud song began to play.

Annie turned her head to the side. "You can't seem to control your power."

Armin scratched the back of his neck, blushing. "It can get out of hand sometimes."

"I bet. Anyway —" said Annie, but he cut her off.

"Gods. Again?" Armin winced, and he raised the volume on his phone.

"What are you talking about?"

"I have to go."

"Why?" said Annie. "Did something happen?"

"My friends are fighting again," he replied. He began running towards the exit, but he turned back to Annie at the last second. "Uh, Annie, would you like to have lunch with us tomorrow?"

Annie seemed taken aback. "With your friends?"

He nodded. "You're new here, right?"

Annie sighed. She guessed he read her mind again. "Okay. See you tomorrow."

"I'll meet you here, alright?" Armin smiled and went off in search of his friends.

He found them at the school steps. His best friend, Eren, was nose-to-nose with Jean, and both looked really pissed. A crowd of students surrounded them, eager to see a fight. He spied Professor Zoe watching on the sidelines, but even she seemed excited to see how this would turn out.

"Take back what you said, horseface!" yelled Eren.

"Will not," said Jean. "There's nothing wrong with what I said."

"Eren, calm down," said Mikasa. She placed a hand on Eren's shoulder, and her touch seemed to make him momentarily forget about his anger.

Jean scowled. "That's it!"

With a loud cry, he lobbed a fireball at Eren's direction — but Mikasa jumped in front of Eren and took the impact. She barely flinched when the fireball hit her, burning some of her clothes off. Mikasa tsked when she saw her favorite red scarf turn to ash, and she gave Jean a steely glare.

"I-I'm so sorry, Mikasa!" said Jean, putting his hands up. "I was trying to hit Eren —"

"Die," she said, as she ripped off the bottom layer of her shirt, leaving her abdomen exposed.

Jean blushed, and he was too busy staring at Mikasa's bare skin to even notice her lifting a large boulder. She grunted as she picked up the giant rock, spinning on her spot until she unceremoniously threw it towards Jean.

Jean screamed before running, and the boulder hit the street with a crash. The students murmured in awe. Eren winced when he saw the damage, and Armin facepalmed.

"Oh no," he said. He shouted at Eren: "The principal!"

"Shoot," said Eren. He grabbed Mikasa, and they turned invisible. The crowd quickly scattered as Principal Smith walked down the school steps, his hands on his back.

"What happened here?" he asked, when he saw the huge chunk of rock on the street and the broken pieces of cement. "Anyone care to explain?"

"It was my fault," said Professor Hange. Armin tried not to grin. The brown haired teacher smiled at Principal Smith before continuing. "I was doing some experiments."

"Hmm."

"I'll fix it."

She took out a her silver pocket watch and clicked it. Armin looked on as the boulder returned to its original position and the road started repairing itself, the debris falling back into their places with ease. He heard Eren in his mind, telling him that they would be escaping. He shook his head. Professor Zoe clicked her watch again when she saw that the damage was gone.

"Ta-da!" she said.

Principal Smith narrowed his eyes. "It's all settled, then. And Hange, no more dangerous experiments."

"Yes, sir!" she said.

Armin went back to his locker. He guessed he shouldn't have ran out there; he didn't do anything useful, anyway. Maybe it was better if he had stayed and talked with Annie instead. That would have been far more interesting, though seeing Mikasa throw a large rock at Jean was pretty entertaining.

"So that was your friends back there?"

Armin jumped. He turned and saw Annie leaning by the lockers, her eyebrows raised.

"Yeah," he said. "That strong girl was Mikasa, and those two airheads who were fighting are Eren and Jean."

"They seem nice."

"If nice is them trying not to slit each other's throat for a minute, then yes, they are pretty nice."

"I never took you for the sarcastic type," she commented.

"And I never knew that you could be talkative," he said. He looked outside the windows and saw that the sun was setting. "Hey, do you wanna go and eat some pizza or something?"

"Are you asking me out?" she said. "We only met about an hour ago."

"That's not how it is!" he said hotly. "My friends are probably off to who-knows-where, and I'm really hungry right now. Also, I can show you around town if you want."

Annie cocked her head to the side. "Sounds like a plan."

"Is that a yes?"

"I don't know. Read my mind."

He smiled and said, "You're thinking _'gods, he's so cute'_ right now."

"You suck at mind reading," she replied dully. "I was actually thinking, _'I hope he pays for everything_."

Armin laughed. "Okay, then. Come on. School's about to close."


	3. chapter 3

AN: Day 3! I know I'm a day late, but I am busy with some stuff, so yeah. Sorry. Anyway, I realized that I could use this day's prompt to create a sequel to my previous update, which was highschool.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.

Day 3 - Admiration

Armin smiled behind his book as he peered at Annie, who sat across from him at the lunch table. She looked bored, from the way her finger absentmindedly traced patterns in the air, making the apple float and dance before her eyes. Annie leaned back on the bench, setting her hand down, and the apple fell back on her tray.

He had always thought that her power was cool. He had seen it in action a lot of times — it was pretty useful whenever she had to stop him from tripping over his feet or falling down the stairs. Being the klutz that he was, Annie always had to use her telekinesis to stop him from hitting his face on the floor; he would always feel a gentle tugging on his collar before bung set upright again.

Annie sighed. She turned her face away from the table and outside the window. They could see some students loitering around the school grounds. Armin spotted his best friend, Eren, whooping as he sat atop a large rock Mikasa was carrying. The Asian girl barely flinched under the weight.

"Are you alright?" asked Armin, when he saw Annie frown.

"Huh?" she said, startled. Realizing what he had asked, she replied, "Oh. Yeah, yeah. I'm fine."

Armin raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

She gave him a flat stare. "You can just read my mind, you know."

"You know I wouldn't do that," said Armin. "I don't use my power like that. People have a right to their private thoughts — I'm not going to peep into their minds just because I can. That's pervasive," he explained. He added in a low voice, "You don't even know how scary it is to hear someone else's thoughts sometimes. Ugh. The things people think about these days."

Annie laughed when she saw him shiver. "Tell me about it."

Armin shook his head vehemently, and she laughed again. He smiled. Well at least she didn't seem upset anymore. Armin did not like seeing her upset. Or sad. Or depressed. He realized a long time ago that he liked it better when she smiled. Annie rarely did, though, so seeing her laughing and looking carefree was truly a sight to behold. He may or may not have been counting those moments secretly.

"Hey," said Annie. She snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"What?" he said.

"You spaced out again," she said. "You do that a lot, by the way. It's pretty funny."

"I guess I'm always way over my head," he replied. "Truthfully, I like that better than having a thousand thoughts all running through my mind at once."

"Good point."

"Hey guys!"

The pair looked up to see Eren running towards them, with Mikasa trailing behind him. Annie rolled her eyes, and Armin tried not to grin as Eren reached them, panting and sweating.

"Look at this!" he said, as he slammed a small sheet of orange paper onto their table.

Armin picked it up and read it. "Power Tournament?"

Eren nodding vigorously. "Yeah. Two teams would be chosen from the Sophomores, and I was thinking that we could join!"

"I don't know..." said Armin uncertainly.

"Come on, Ar! It would be fun!" Eren said.

"He just wants to join because he heard Jean's team was competing," said Mikasa dryly.

"That's not true!" Eren said, turning to Mikasa. She gave him an unimpressed look. "Okay, fine. But just think — this is our chance to finally kick his butt!"

"I'm not joining," said Annie.

"What?" said Eren. "But Annie —"

"It's a waste of time."

"Aww."

"Sorry, Eren. I'll definitely team up with you, but we can't join with just two people," said Mikasa.

Eren gave Armin his best version of a puppy-eye. "Armin. Best buddies, right?"

Armin thought about it. Well, it wasn't like he had anything else to do. And besides, he figured that it would be one hell of an experience, regardless of whether they win or not.

"Alright," he said. "I'm in."

"Hell yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about."

"Annie?" Armin said, waiting.

She huffed before crossing her arms over her chest. Armin continued to stare at her. Finally, Annie sighed, and after a few seconds said: "Okay. Let's get this over with."

They registered in the event under the name Jaeger Forever, something Eren thought of, and something they beat him up for. Annie stuck her tongue out in disgust when she saw the name printed on her green shirt, and Armin can't help but to join her. They were standing at the far end of the gym, opposite Jean's team, which composed of Connie, Marco, and Sasha.

Armin rubbed his palms together.

"Are you nervous?" asked Annie.

"A little," he replied.

She put a hand to his shoulder. "Relax. It's just a game."

"You're right," he said, exhaling. "You always take things calmly, don't you?"

Annie shrugged. Armin watched as she gazed across the gym at their opponents, sizing them up. Her face showed no signs of fear or nervousness, and Armin found himself admiring her again. She was perfect, and he didn't mean it in a way that her hair was always great, or her face was pretty — no, it wasn't that. She was perfect in a sense that she had everything: looks, brains, attitude, a cool power. When he looked at her, he knew that he was looking at a real-life superhero, and somehow he can't help but think that they were all insignificant compared to her.

He was too caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even realize that the horn signaling the start of the game had already sounded.

"Hey, Armin! Run!" shouted Eren.

Armin followed him. The game was pretty simple. All they had to do was capture the other team's flag. Armin glanced behind him at Annie, who stood guard over their green flag. Rules dictate that she can't use her telekinesis to grab the other team's flag, so Eren's team decided that it would be better if she defended their base.

"Watch out!" yelled Armin, when he saw Jean lob a fireball in Eren's direction.

Eren dodged and turned invisible. Mikasa gave Jean a glare before continuing to run towards their flag. However, a thick wall of ice suddenly blocked her path, forcing her to skid into a stop.

"That's as far as you get, Mikasa," said Sasha, chuckling. She raised her palm, and frost started to drift up Mikasa's left leg.

"Mikasa!" shouted Armin. Shit. He can't help her; his power wasn't fit for combat.

Suddenly, the wall of ice exploded in a shower of cold crystals, and Armin turned just in time to see Annie snap her fingers, breaking the ice encasing Mikasa's leg.

"Thanks, Annie!" yelled Mikasa over her shoulder.

He sprinted forward. No one was paying him any mind, and that was exactly what their team wanted. He saw Jean suddenly fall on his butt, and Eren blink into visibility, laughing.

"Why you —" said Jean through gritted teeth.

Eren gave him a smug smirk and was just about turn invisible when suddenly, vines sprouted from the gym floor and started wrapping around his body, keeping him in place.

"What the hell?" he said. "Marco!"

"Jean, go!" the freckled boy told his friend. He tightened his grip on Eren.

Mikasa was still busy battling Sasha, so Armin figured she wouldn't be able to help him. Armin groaned in frustration and ran on, ignoring the chaos around him. He was so close; Connie grinned when he saw him. The red flag of their team hang on the basketball ring behind him, and he did not even look the least bit worried that Armin was there.

"Hey, Armin," he said casually.

He thinks he can easily defeat me, Armin thought. Well, he wasn't wrong, but Armin thought that for someone who was supposed to be guarding the flag, Connie was pretty flippant.

"Ugh!" Mikasa screamed. Sasha had covered pinned her arms and legs with ice. Annie glanced at them, but she turned her head right away to dodge Jean's fireball. She moved closer to their flag, all the while keeping a cautious eye on Jean. Eren remained trapped in Marco's vines, and he couldn't really escape even if he turned invisible. So everything was resting on Armin's hands now.

 _Think, Armin. What should you do?_ He knew Connie's power was to manipulate the wind. It was powerful, no doubt, and the perfect ability to keep enemies at bay. He supposed he could use it to his advantage, but how?

Armin closed his eyes and opened his mind. A hundred thoughts entered his head as his brain took in all the thoughts swirling around him. He clenched his fist and focused on Connie. If he concentrated, he would be able to read his mind, and if he tried, right down to his subconscious.

Armin made his move. He ran at Connie head-on and at full speed, his eyes glued to the red flag. Connie sent a funnel of wind in his direction, but Armin sidestepped and continued to advance. Connie tsked and clapped his hands — a strong gust of wind sent Armin flying into the air, and Connie smiled, thinking that his work was done.

Annie watched as Armin slowly fell. She raised her hand to catch him, but she lost her focus when Jean suddenly slammed into her, knocking her to the ground. He grinned and looked up at the green flag hanging on their ring.

Armin smirked. He took off his jacket and spread it over his head, using it as a makeshift parachute. He felt himself slowing down, and he stretched his hand out and just as he went pass the basketball ring, grabbing their opponent's red flag. A horn sounded, which meant that they won, and he whooped in joy.

However, he still fell on the floor with a loud crash.

The first thing he saw upon waking up was bright, white light. He groaned, sitting up, and the blanket slid off his body, revealing his injured leg and arm. A cast had been placed on them, and Armin remembered his reckless plan during the tournament with embarrassment. He was at the infirmary, judging by the white walls and medicine cabinet.

He turned to the side and saw Annie sitting on a chair next to his bed, asleep. Armin wondered how long she'd been here. Biting his lip, he slowly reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

She jumped at the contact, and her ERS opened. Armin immediately scrambled back, and in his haste, he went tumbling down the side of the bed.

He screamed in pain when his broken leg hit the ground.

"Oh my gods," said Annie. She helped him up. "What the hell, Armin?"

"Ow, ow, ow," he said, limping over to bed. "Sorry for waking you."

"No, I'm sorry," she replied. "I scared you."

"It's fine," he said glad she didn't caught him earlier.

"How do you feel?"

"Like I fell from the sky."

"You kind of did."

"My broken arm and leg kind of proves that."

She cracked a smile. "You're an idiot."

"I know," he said. "But hey, at least we won."

She shook her head. "You're really stupid. Why did you do that?"

"It was the only thing I could think of," he said simply.

"You were amazing."

Armin blinked. "What?"

"I said you were amazing," repeated Annie. "You were willing to sacrifice yourself in order to win. Not exactly heroic, per se, but you get the point."

"Th-thanks," he said, blushing. "B-but I'm really not that great. You, however, you were so cool when you broke Sasha's ice —"

"Don't make this about me again," she said, and she sounded almost annoyed. "Just take the compliment, Armin."

"Fine." He said.

Annie nodded. "You're admirable, really. You may not believe me, but you really are. Your power isn't flashy like Jean's, or powerful like Mikasa's, but still you manage to pull through. I'll say it again — you're pretty amazing."

Armin was sure that his face was red. Here was Annie, the person he admired the most, telling him that he was freakin' amazing. If this is what he would get every time he broke an arm, he'd gladly jump twenty feet into the air again only to land painfully.

"Hey, wanna watch a movie? I'm bored," he said. "My laptop's on my bag."

Annie smiled and took out his laptop. She placed it on his lap, as she sat beside him as a film began to play. Armin yawned and pretended to stretched his uninjured arm, tentatively wrapping it on Annie's shoulder. She raised her eyebrow, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she floated a pillow over to her and hugged it as she leaned back on Armin.


	4. chapter 4

AN: What can I say? I'm updating a day late again, so I might upload two one-shots today (days 4 and 5). Also, there are a lot of typos in my last post, but I was in a hurry! Sue me. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan.

Day 4 - Sneaking Around

"Are you really sure we should be doing this?"

Annie stopped walking. She looked around them warily, at the thick vines curling around the huge, wrought iron gates, to the mold creeping up the side of the mansion's once white walls. She turned her gaze back to the boy in front of her, who had also stopped walking. Armin turned around to look at her, his eyebrow raised.

"Well?" said Annie.

"Annie," said Armin, and she was surprised to see him smiling. "Don't tell me you're scared?"

She did not answer.

He had the nerve to laugh. When he saw her annoyed face, however, he stopped immediately. "Sorry. I wasn't laughing at you — it's just that, it's kind of funny, don't you think? You're not afraid to fight the bullies whenever they bother me, but when it comes to all things haunted, your bravery just kind of flies out the window."

"I'm not fearless," she said. "And you're one to talk. I don't get you. You scream like a girl when a spider lands on your shoulder, and you cried when we first rode a rollercoaster because it was, as you said, horrifyingly fast. But when you hear anything about ghosts, you just jump right into it like a maniac."

He shrugged. "We all have our quirks."

Annie kicked a pebble by her feet. "Guess so."

Armin took her hand and squeezed it. "We can leave if you want."

She looked up at him. He was smiling kindly at her, and the fading sunlight hit his blond hair just right, making it shine like gold. He looked like an angel. Annie knew that she wasn't the only one who thought that; their classmates often joked about how Armin must have come from heaven itself. Annie agreed — he was the type of guy to adopt cats he found on the streets and help the teachers carry their things, after all. He never once tried to take revenge on his bullies, so Annie decided that that was her job. She couldn't count the times she had sent those fools to the infirmary.

He was her best friend. Hell, he was her only friend. The students don't want to have anything to do with Annie Leonhardt, the snobbish bitch who snapped at anyone who had tried to talk to her. Well, except for Armin.

She remembered how they first met. He had unexpectedly stumbled into her life — quite literally, actually. She was updating her diary in an empty classroom when he suddenly entered, a hundred books in hand. He looked surprised to see her there, and he stood by the door, looking around awkwardly. Annie was about to tell him to go and find a place of his own, but she stopped herself. She didn't know why — maybe it was because he was carrying books about supernatural phenomenons, or that his face was completely red with embarrassment — but either way, she let him in.

"Hey," she said dully as she closed her diary. "Sit anywhere you want. I won't bother you."

"Th-thanks," he replied. He sat on one of the chairs near the back, and Annie watched as one by one, he read all the books. He muttered under his breath as he took down notes in a little notebook he had with him.

She turned back to her diary and started writing again. However, she found herself glancing at Armin from time to time. She knew him — everyone in school did. He was the class valedictorian after all, and he was always involved in some sort of fundraiser. She shared some classes with him, too, though she doubted if he even remembered her. He had lots of people he always hung out with (he was always with Eren and Mikasa, his childhood friends), so he wouldn't have time to notice her.

"You want to join me?"

Annie jumped. She cleared her throat when she realized that he was talking to her. Again, Annie didn't know what made her do it, but she found herself sitting across from him, staring at the tower of hardbounds resting on his desk.

"What are these?" she asked, trying to make conversation.

"They're my books," he said. "Well, I borrowed some from the library. But mostly, they're mine. I use them for, uh, leisurely reading."

"Leisurely," she repeated flatly, picking up a particularly thick book.

He scratched the back of his neck shyly. "Okay. Maybe I have this weird obsession with ghosts and all that stuff."

She almost laughed. He was a complete nerd, she knew that, but this was a completely different level of geekiness. He gulped, afraid that she would make fun of him, but all she did was shrug.

"Sounds interesting," she said.

"Y-you're not gonna laugh at me?" he asked.

"No," she said. She saw the cover of one of the books, and she tried not to shiver. "I'll tell you a secret of mine: I'm actually afraid of ghosts."

He raised an eyebrow. "Annie Leonhardt is afraid of ghosts."

She was so surprised to hear him say her whole name that she just sat there, staring at him. Big mistake — when his bright blue eyes met hers, Annie knew she was done for. Maybe her classmates were right. Maybe he really was an angel, and that was the reason why he had easily enticed her.

"Anyway," she said, shaking her head. "Tell me about this stuff."

He had smiled widely then, and they spent the whole afternoon discussing all the supernatural stuff in the world, from aliens to ghosts to lost souls. She barely remembered it, but it didn't matter though, because after that day, they became best friends.

That was two years ago, and now they were actually sneaking around an old, abandoned mansion in their neighborhood, trying to prove Armin's beliefs. She should have known that his life goal was to trespass into a rumored haunted mansion.

"No," she said. "Let's do this. This is your dream, right?"

He snorted. "My dream is to become a professor and have a house near the ocean, but yeah, let's call this that."

"Cut it with the sarcasm," she said. She looked up; the sky was turning dark. Annie bit her lip and swallowed her fear. "Come on. Old Paul would be back any time now, and then we'll be in big trouble."

Old Paul was the mansion's caretaker. He was a mean, little man who smacked his walking cane across the heads of all those teenagers who tried to sneak inside the house. Like Annie and Armin, for instance.

"Right," said Armin. He slowly lifted the panel of one of the windows. When it was finally up, he hefted himself over the ledge, until he was finally inside the house.

Annie followed suit. She shoved the flashlight inside the pocket of her hoodie and carefully climbed the window. She landed with a soft thud. Annie saw that they were in the living room. The sofa and chairs were covered in white cloth, and the carpet was worn out and full off mold. A piano was pushed against the corner of the room, and a thick layer of dust had settled on its surface. Portraits hung on the walls, but the photos in them had already faded in time.

"Armin?" she whispered softly. "Where are you?"

"Here," he called out. He flashed a light on her face.

"Ugh!" she said, and she covered her eyes. "Get that thing away from me."

"Sorry," he replied. He swept the beam of light across the room. "This place is wicked! Look at these. It's very —"

"Old," she supplied. "And dirty."

"It's wonderful," he said in a hushed tone. He took out his camera and started taking pictures of the room.

She sighed. "Just make it quick. We don't want to get caught. Breaking and entering is —"

She was cut off by the sound of music playing. Annie and Armin looked at each other, and they strained their ears toward the sound. A light, jazzy song echoed around the house, grainy and sharp, as if it was coming off a radio. Annie hugged herself.

"Armin...?" she said. "Maybe Old Paul didn't go after all. Maybe he's here inside the house right now, cleaning."

"No," he said. "I definitely saw him go out earlier. The house is empty."

He seemed almost happy about it. Annie was feeling restless; she wanted to the stupid music to stop playing, and she wanted to get out of that damn house.

"Where are you going?" she said, when she saw Armin walking out the living room.

"I'm going to find the source of the sound."

Typical. Annie trailed after him, making sure he was close enough for her to grab in case some weird shit happens and they had to escape. She didn't believe in ghosts — she refused to believe them — but goosebumps still rose in her arms as she listened to the continuing music.

They were at what she supposed was the parlor. There was nothing there except for a small coffee table, four chairs, and a rusty radio that blared out music. Armin picked it up, and much to Annie's relief, turned it off.

They were suddenly plunged into silence. "I wonder why it played," Armin mused.

"Maybe Old Paul forgot to turn it off," said Annie hopefully.

He shook his head. "It wasn't playing when we got here."

He took a picture of the radio and turned to her. "Let's go upstairs."

"What?" she said, incredulous.

"Come on," he prodded. He held his hand out to her. "Here. We'll go together. Don't worry."

Annie groaned in frustration, but she took his hand anyway. They ascended the stairs leading to the second floor, and Annie tried not to glance at the paintings hanging on the walls. She focused on Armin's hand in hers, and Annie wouldn't lie; it was pretty good to walked around with him while holding hands. If only they weren't in a freaking haunted house, the moment would have been perfect.

"Annie," he said. "I think I hear something."

 _Not again_ , she thought. Annie kept quiet and listened. Sure enough, they heard a soft sound, like scuffling mice, only louder and more pronounced. It was the sound of running footsteps.

"Hello?" Armin called out, and Annie jumped.

"What the hell?" she told him. "What are you doing?"

"Is anybody here?" he yelled. "Come out, please. We're not going to hurt you."

"They're going to hurt us," Annie muttered under her breath.

The footstep became louder and more frequent. Annie gave out a shriek when the door at the far end of the hall creaked open.

"Looks like they want us to go there," said Armin in a low voice. He tugged at her hand, and she could feel his excitement. "Just stay close to me. It's fine."

Annie's knees were shaking by now. She would rather fight five men at the same time than go to that room. The hell with it — she let go of his hand and hooked her arm to the crook of his elbow. Annie clung to him, her grip on his elbow so tight she was sure she had broken it. Armin didn't complain though; he merely patted her hand, a gentle reassurance that there was nothing to be scared about.

They reached the empty bedroom. It seemed to be a girl's room. The door was painted pink, and Annie spied some toys on the shelf. The sheets were also pink, and flowers decorated the walls.

Armin pushed the door, and suddenly, a bucket of ice-cold water poured over them. The radio downstairs sounded again, and Annie was too afraid to even think. She turned tail and ran as fast as she could down the stairs.

"Annie!" said Armin. He ran after her, his wet clothes dripping onto the floor. "Wait —"

He tripped and rolled down the stairs.

"Shit!" he screamed. "Annie! No —"

"Oh gods," she said, as she knelt next to him. "Armin, are you okay? I think your leg's broken. Oh no —"

Laughter reverberated around the room. This one didn't scare Annie, though. She knew those voices well. Both of them looked on as Eren, Jean, Connie and Sasha emerged from the parlor, laughing their heads off.

"Oh gods," said Eren, wiping a tear from his eye. "You should see your faces right now."

"Eren," said Armin. "I knew something was up when that bucket of water poured over us."

"That was my brilliant plan," said Connie proudly.

"Was it?" said Annie, her voice low.

Connie nodded. Sasha giggled beside him when she saw the state Armin and Annie were in.

"Armin, can you stand?" said Annie.

"Yeah," he stood up and straightened his clothes. "Just a little groggy."

"Good," she replied. She turned toward his friends. Her eyes had a murderous look in them as she cracked her knuckles.

"Run!" said Jean, and the four of them jumped out the window.

Armin took a picture of them. So much for sneaking around.


End file.
